The Athletic's Tashan Reed believes that, among the Raiders' RBs, rookie Zamir White "is the closest to pushing [Josh] Jacobs for his role as the lead back." White looked good in his NFL debut in last week's Hall of Fame Game, running 11 times for 52 yards and catching 3 of 4 targets for 23 yards. "This guy just plays hard. He loves football," HC Josh McDaniels said. "You saw how he finishes runs. He’s a physical player. He’s a tough guy; he adds that element to our team." We'd still consider White a long shot to overtake Jacobs as Vegas' lead back this season. But White could earn a big enough role to dent Jacobs' fantasy value.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur announced Monday that QB Jordan Love will start the preseason opener. There's obviously nothing to read into this from a roles standpoint, as Aaron Rodgers is locked in for as long as he wants to be. According to The Athletic, LaFleur said he'll decide after the team's 2nd preseason contest whether Rodgers will play at all in the exhibitions. Don't be surprised if we get extended playing time from Love, who has plenty to prove and might even get showcased for potential trades. He's worth keeping in mind if you're playing preseason DFS.
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich has had his early training-camp time limited by a hamstring injury that he suffered during offseason work, according to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. The rookie made it back to team drills last week, but Monday found him back on a side field. "Hamstrings are so weird; they are very difficult to get through," HC Nathaniel Hackett said. "As he goes through that, we're just making sure we're doing things the right way."
Bengals HC Zac Taylor said Monday that he's "not going to make any predictions" on when QB Joe Burrow returns to the field following his July appendix surgery, according to The Athletic. The team is reportedly optimistic, though, and doesn't expect him to miss the regular-season opener. We'll keep an eye on Burrow's progress.
Patriots QB Mac Jones has struggled in training camp so far, according to Evan Lazar of the team's official website. "Jones looks out of sync and sometimes uncomfortable with what's happening around him," Lazar writes. "In passing situations with the field spread, Jones looks more like his usual self, and the glimpses we've seen of Mac's deep throws show signs of improvement. But the ball isn't coming out of his hands as quickly or decisively as in the past." We still have a month to go before Week 1, but this is a situation to monitor as the Patriots break in Matt Patricia as play caller.
Steelers WR Diontae Johnson is dealing with a hip flexor injury, HC Mike Tomlin said Monday. Johnson, of course, had just returned to full-team work after getting his extension last Thursday. This injury doesn't sound significant, but we'll keep an eye on him.
Saints QB Jameis Winston injured his foot in Monday's practice. No word on the severity yet, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Winston is "undergoing further evaluation." We'll update his status when we know more.
Steelers WR Chase Claypool (shoulder) returned to practice on Monday. He ended up missing 9 days. Claypool is still the favorite to open the season as Pittsburgh's #2 WR, but rookie George Pickens is pushing hard.
Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins (knee) passed his physical and was activated from the PUP list on Monday. ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted that Dobbins is now "on track" to play Week 1, while NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Dobbins has "a chance" for the opener. We'll see who proves right there, but Dobbins is clearly trending in the right direction. RB Gus Edwards (knee) remains on the PUP list, which seems to be confirmation that he's behind Dobbins in his rehab.
Giants insider Dan Schneier told us on the latest Draft Sharks podcast that WR Kenny Golladay "has not looked good in training camp at all from a separation standpoint." Schneier has heard that the hip Golladay had surgery on back in 2020 will never be the same. "He's not creating separation like he did on the film I watched on him in Detroit," Schneier added. Schneier also believes Golladay is a bad fit in this Brian Daboll offense and with QB Daniel Jones.
"Something's up with the velocity on [Daniel Jones'] throws," Giants insider Dan Schneier told us on the latest Draft Sharks podcast. "Ball placement is something that's been waning for him since his rookie season ... it seems to be only getting worse. The velocity is a weird thing." Schneier wonders if the dip in velocity is related to the neck injury that Jones suffered last year. Schneier also notes that Jones has seemed to struggle with HC Brian Daboll's offense and with getting on the same page as his receivers so far in camp. There's plenty of time for that stuff to get ironed out, but the arm strength note is concerning. Jones is cheap enough in fantasy drafts that you can keep taking shots on him. But we're less excited about his 2022 value now than we were before talking to Schneier.
NESN's Zack Cox calls Ty Montgomery a "strong candidate" for the Patriots' 3rd-down RB role. "He’s listed as a wide receiver but has seen just as many reps in the backfield this summer, if not more," Cox writes. He goes on to concede that Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie Pierre Strong are also candidates for the 3rd-down job. So the situation is as clear as mud at this point. We'll see if we learn anything in preseason games.
QB Baker Mayfield has the "inside track" for the Panthers' starting job, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Mayfield and QB Sam Darnold have been splitting reps in camp, and that's expected to continue in the preseason, per Rapoport. "Based on the understanding [Mayfield] has of this offense, based on the kind of plays he can make, the kind of command he's already getting inside this locker room, it certainly does seem like it's Baker Mayfield's job to win," Rapoport says. We've projected Mayfield as Carolina's starter since the trade was made back in early July. Mayfield is just a low-end QB2 but should be an upgrade for RB Christian McCaffrey, WR D.J. Moore and the rest of the Panthers' skill-position guys.
Saints TE Taysom Hill (ribs) returned to practice on Monday. Following an absence of about 10 days, he wore a red, non-contact jersey, per reporter Katherine Terrell. Hill’s only draftable in deep formats or best ball leagues where he’s listed at TE, in hopes that he'll see some time at QB.
Eagles insider John McMullen believes RB Kenneth Gainwell "seems to be penciled in for high-leverage situations like third downs, the hurry-up offense, and goal-line work." The passing-down work isn't a big surprise considering Gainwell led Eagles RBs in targets, catches and receiving yards last year. The note on goal-line work is eye-catching, though. Gainwell is just 200 pounds and tallied only 3 carries inside the 5-yard line last season. We'll continue to keep an eye on this backfield in camp and preseason action. Pass-catching and goal-line work could make Gainwell the most valuable Eagles RB in fantasy football, even if Miles Sanders leads in carries.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco ran with the 1st-team offense again on Sunday, per NFL Network's James Palmer. "He's picking up the offense and the protections faster than they thought," Palmer adds. The note on pass protection is particularly noteworthy because rookies often struggle in that department. (And because Kansas City's QB is on a $450 million contract.) We're still a month away from Week 1, but Pacheco appears to have a real chance to open the season with a significant role in the Chiefs backfield.
Insider Peter King came away from Bears camp believing the team has "big intentions" for WR Velus Jones this year. That's not a surprise considering he was the 71st overall pick of this spring's draft -- and considering the state of Chicago's WR corps. "He will play," King said. "And he has hit the ground running." Jones didn't check many analytical boxes as a prospect and still isn't someone we're betting on long term. But his opportunity alone makes him worth a look at the end of fantasy drafts.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Bears WR N’Keal Harry sustained an ankle injury in Saturday’s practice that “appears severe.” Recently acquired from New England, Harry had landed in a fine spot to rehab his NFL value. We’ll hope for the best here, but Harry’s certainly off the redraft radar at the moment. Chicago remains paper thin at WR behind Darnell Mooney.
UPDATE: Harry suffered a high-ankle sprain and is expected to miss about 6 weeks, per Ian Rapoport.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Raiders “are not looking to trade [RB] Josh Jacobs.” Speaking on Jacobs’ extended action in the Hall of Fame Game, Rapoport says that it was simply a case of the new coaching staff wanting to evaluate its lead back. We'll see how his usage looks over the next few weeks.
Browns RB Kareem Hunt returned to team drills Sunday, according to multiple reports. That followed closely behind reports of a “hold-in” and trade request for Hunt. It sounds like the RB has done what he can in pursuit of the extension and will now get back to business as usual. Hunt doesn’t have much leverage in trying to force the new contract
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